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19 things to do in 2019

In 2019, I am going to give something new a go! I have come up with 19 things that I want to try to do in 2019. Rather than saying “I want to get fit” or “I am going to eat more protein in January”, these are things that I can do at any point in the year and are enjoyable and less focused on my health and body, therefore feeling less overwhelming or chore-like (I know what I have to do in those areas so that’s separate). Also, I like to make lists; when I can see things clearly laid out in front of me, I get excited or motivated to tick each box.

Trying to change it up from New Year’s Resolutions in 2018, I attempted making monthly goals but it was hard to achieve these within the time period and subsequently caused me frustration. I decided to not write a 2018 review post because, to be honest, the way my life is, I find it disheartening when I think about what I would like to achieve but can not due to various reasons that stem primarily from issues with my health. That’s why I thought a fun, interesting list of things I want to do rather than a list of “new year, new you”  changes might be good to try.

I have heard a few people recently talking about using a word to drive yourself during the year. Something that gives you purpose, reminds you of your goals and brings intention to your days. The word that I am going to hold onto in 2019 is achievement. For the last couple of years or so, I have found this time of year really difficult as it is a period when reviewing, reevaluating and planning our lives seems unavoidable. I want to get to this stage in a year’s time and be more familiar with a sense of accomplishment than I am presently.

So here we go…19 things for 2019!!

  1. Travel to and explore at least two cities/locations that are unfamiliar or new to me
  2. Spend time out of my house by myself once a fortnight at places such as cafes, parks, the movies, my local library, the shops etc (not including time at uni) *within reason – I can’t make myself unwell while attempting to fulfill this one
  3. Take a holiday by myself, even for a night or two. And by “by myself”, I mean humans…my furry sidekick might join me!!
  4. Spend more time outdoors. Some days I literally do not go outside. This needs to change.
  5. Learn or do something new. For example, I want to try my hand at typography – it would be cool to do classes with Mum as she also wants to 
  6. Watch and listen to more educational documentaries, podcasts and the like 
  7. Work on an extended piece of writing outside of uni work rather than just saying I will. This means finding some type of routine and rhythm that suits my lifestyle and sticking to it
  8. Don’t let the fact that I want to write a novel length piece distract me from the fact that I want to write short stories and that this genre suits my writing style. I decided I wanted to try to write a longer work so unintentionally put off writing short stories to concentrate on the story idea I have, felt intimidated by the scale of it and subsequently ended up indadvertedly hitting pause on both endeavours! I need to get back to writing short stories, which I enjoy, while also working towards my goal of working on an extended piece 
  9. Regularly post on my blog and do not let uni work distract me from that which I enjoy doing – there is time to write and express myself through my blog if I prioritise
  10. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!!! Floss, floss, floss! (chore-like, but I need to be kept accountable!!)
  11. Interact more frequently with people in the bookish and spoonie community
  12. I often look for a volunteer position so that I feel like I contribute to something but have so far struggled to find something suitable. I want to keep looking and hopefully find and do something, even if it’s just a one off event
  13. Attend as many writer talks, workshops, meet ups and networking opportunities as possible (alongside uni coursework and the Brisbane Writers Festival that I always go to) 
  14. Work up to doing pilates classes twice a week as well as at home exercises and stretches, tai chi at least once a week, and small walks or swims as regularly as possible. (This sounds like it should be on the chore-like health list, but I genuinely want to achieve this and it will make me so happy if I am able to)
  15. Submit my short stories to literary prizes, competitions or for publication as frequently as possible
  16. Do something fun or challenging that I have not done for a long time. One possible thing here is poetry. I used to write poems all the time and then when I did a uni subject in poetry, I realised how unstructured they were because I didn’t know the rules and best methods to use to construct them. I was discouraged and have not written one poem in the two years since 
  17. Say goodbye to my bellybutton piercing!!!
  18. Shorter showers! Think less of the muscle aches and more of the fish!! (but without rushing and therefore hitting the floor in true POTSIE-style!)
  19. Begin the day by not reaching for my phone immediately upon waking, and end the day with less/no sugar to promote sleep

I might not get through this whole list – it is ambitious for how my life is (if only it was 2010!!!). However, these are things that would really make me happy to achieve and so I will try as hard as I can to get as close to fulfilling as many as possible in the year, and this will be enough. These are goals to drive and excite me, not to burn me out or cause disappointment. 

Have you any plans for this year? What would you love to do? Is there something you have been putting off? Why not make 2019 the year you try to do it? Please let me know what your thoughts, plans and hopes are!